1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to the field of illumination devices. More specifically, the present invention is drawn to a warning light system for a motor vehicle
2. Description of the Known Art
As will be appreciated by those skilled in the art, luminous devices are located on motor vehicles to aid with visibility of these vehicles for other drivers. The Department of Transportation dictates lighting requirements for tractors and semi-trailers under the Federal Motor Carriers Safety regulations. These regulations generally cover types of lights, position requirements, candle power, and required times of use for specific lights. Patents disclosing information relevant to luminous devices located on motor vehicles include U.S. Pat. No. 4,115,757, issued to Blahunka on Sep. 19, 1978; U.S. Pat. No. 4,325,318, issued to Kitrell on Apr. 20, 1982; U.S. Pat. No. 4,449,167, issued to Cohen on May 15, 1984; U.S. Pat. No. 5,607,221, issued to Justus on Mar. 4, 1997; U.S. Pat. No. 6,133,851, issued to Johnson on Oct. 17, 2000; U.S. Pat. No. 6,709,141, issued to Sisti on Mar. 23, 2004. Each of these patents are hereby expressly incorporated by reference in their entirety.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,449,167, issued to Cohen on May 15, 1984 entitled Adjustable vehicle safety light. The abstract provides the following information. The object of the present invention is an auxiliary safety rear light assembly for vehicles which can be adhesively mounted at any position on the rear window of a car or truck. Another object of the present invention is an auxiliary safety rear light assembly which can be adjusted along a horizontal axis so as to be mountable parallel to the road regardless of the angle which the vehicle rear window makes to the road. Still another object of the present invention is an auxiliary safety rear light assembly for vehicles comprising a lightable area which will illuminate in response to and signal vehicle actions, pivot means on either end of the lightable area to pivot the lightable area on its horizontal axis, a mounting bracket having two dependent sides and a foot perpendicular to each of such sides, each side having means to accept a lightable area pivot means and locking means to lock the pivot means and hold the lightable area in a desired position relative to such sides, and each foot having adhesive means on a surface thereof to fixedly attach the auxiliary safety rear light assembly to the vehicle.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,953,065, issued to Kao on Aug. 28, 1990 entitled Brake light device mounted on truck fender. The abstract provides the following information. A brake light device mounted on truck fender providing brake light warning signal day and night to promote driving security, including a base, a circuit board, a reflecting mirror, a set of wires and a light shade, wherein the base is formed with a central rectangular recess having a peripheral step portion, the circuit board being disposed on the step portion, and the reflecting mirror being disposed on the step portion, and the reflecting mirror being disposed on the circuit board while via screws, the light shade being associated with the base to envelope the circuit board and reflecting mirror, forming an assembly, which is mounted on the lower end of a fender by screws.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,607,221, issued to Justus on Mar. 4, 1997 entitled Hook-up light for a truck tractor. The abstract provides the following information. A device for mounting on the rear wall of a truck tractor including a housing and a lamp pivotally mounted on the housing, for illuminating a working area between the tractor and a trailer during hookup or to provide an additional safety warning light behind the tractor. The housing contains a receptacle and a pair of glad hand brackets mounted on side walls of the housing for retaining the plug end of an electrical power cord and the coupling ends of a pair of air pressure lines, respectively, when disconnected from the trailer. One of the male prongs of the receptacle is electrically connected to a switch mounted within the cab of the tractor for illuminating the lamp. This switch normally actuates one of the trailer accessories, such as its marking light, when the power cord is connected to the trailer.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,133,851, issued to Johnson on Oct. 17, 2000 entitled Truck light warning system. The abstract provides the following information. A truck light warning system for automatically alerting a driver near a truck that they are either following too closely or within a truck's blind spots. The inventive device includes a rear sensor, a front sensor, a pair of side sensors, an engine control module (ECM), an instrument control panel (ICP), a rear indicator, a front indicator and a pair of side indicators all electrically connected. A plurality of side movement lights are electrically connected to the ECM for informing the driver of a vehicle that they should drive past the side of the tractor and trailer. A plurality of strobe lights may be included that are activated when the fog lights of the tractor are activated for warning drivers during inclimate weather conditions. When a vehicle is in one of the four blind spots surrounding the tractor and trailer, the ECM activates the appropriate indicator to warn the driver that they are in a blind spot or following too closely. The ECM is preferably programmable for allowing the programming of various messages to be displayed upon the indicators.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,709,141, issued to Sisti on Mar. 23, 2004 entitled Automotive warning light. The abstract provides the following information. A warning illumination system adapted to be mounted on a motor vehicle (automobile, truck, motorcycle, etc.). In a preferred embodiment, the system is designed to project a single or a pair of light beams forwardly and angularly from the front of the vehicle. As contemplated the beam(s) is projected a distance of fifty to one hundred feet in front of the vehicle and at a horizontal angle across the vehicle which may range from forty-five to sixty degrees. For maximum effectiveness, it has been determined that the beam should be projected at a vertical angle so that it intersects the road at approximately a thirty degree angle. The thus projected beam reaches forward and across the lane of traffic, making the extreme end of the beam visible to an oncoming driver approaching from a hidden curve or blind corner. The beam is visible to the oncoming driver critical seconds before the approaching vehicle is visible. The beam can be directed either to the right or left depending on whether the vehicle is approaching a right hand or a left hand curve.
As known in the art, conspicuity tape has been traditionally used to aid the visibility of trailers. However, the use of the conspicuity tape does not prevent a number of accidents. When a vehicle's lights are directed towards conspicuity tape located on a trailer, the light is typically reflected back toward the motorist to show an outline of the frame of the trailer. The intensity of the reflection of the tape is magnified when light is oriented more directly towards the tape. However, when the angle of the trailer moves from ninety degrees, either by increase or decrease of the angle, less light is directed toward the conspicuity tape from the motorist's vehicle causing less light to be reflected. The reflection of light is also impeded by the accumulation of dirt and debris on tractor-trailers which are typically used in rural settings. Thus, conspicuity tape is not always effective in alerting motorists to the frame of a trailer. A single amber light on the rear side corners of the trailer have also been used on trailers. However, these lights are easily muted since they are located behind the more intense headlights of the tractor. Therefore, there is a need in the art to improve the visibility of trailers.
A common traffic scenario reveals the need in the art for the disclosed invention. This situation occurs when an articulated vehicle is negotiating a left turn from a roadway where cross-traffic has the right-of-way. The time needed to complete the left turn (positioned completely in the intended lane) from a stopped position is increased dramatically for a tractor-trailer as opposed to the typical passenger vehicle. The average passenger vehicle executes a left turn from three to five seconds while a tractor pulling a forty to fifty-three foot trailer will take fifteen to twenty seconds to execute the same turn. In this fifteen to twenty second time period, an approaching vehicle on a roadway with a speed limit of 55 miles an hour can travel at least 1200 feet. Therefore, many vehicles will be too far away from the intersection at the time the trailer begins the turn to recognize the obstruction in the road. In low light conditions, these motorists will have difficulties recognizing the obstruction before it becomes a problem.
Tractor-trailer drivers making left turns steer the tractor generally straight across the two lanes of travel, then turn sharply to their left and point their tractor straight toward vehicles approaching from their left. This is normally done so that the left rear axles of their trailer, which track substantially to the inside of the turn, will clear physical obstacles. A tractor will accomplish the straight alignment with the roadway within approximately one-third of the total time necessary to complete the turn, thus leaving thirteen seconds that the trailer is pointed straight down the roadway before completely clearing the oncoming lane of traffic.
The trailer effectively vanishes from an oncoming motorist's field of vision once the tractor's headlights are pointed directly toward the motorist. The motorists on oncoming vehicles who approached during the thirteen seconds after the tractor has pointed straight will only see headlights of an oncoming vehicle which is not in their intended path of travel. If the motorists enter the intersection less than thirteen seconds after the tractor points in their direction, they either underride the side of the trailer or strike the tandem axles on the trailer. Obviously, this type of collision usually causes severe personal injuries or death to the occupants of those vehicles. Many times in these type accidents, there is no evidence of any braking prior to the collision. This visibility scenario is also presented when a tractor/semi-trailer backs across an oncoming lane to dock trailers for delivery or pick-up.
Based upon this scenario, there is a need in the art to further enhance visibility of the trailer's location. The prior art fails to teach a light system for multiple-axle vehicles oriented to alert motorists of the position of a trailer from a multitude of angles. Thus, it may be seen that these prior art patents are very limited in their teaching and utilization, and an improved light system is needed to overcome these limitations.